Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy
Likes: Brian Regan, snow cones
Dislikes: Science Fairs
Hates: Spelling rules

The Show
With Jerry Seinfeld all but retired from the comedy scene and Ellen Degeneres having moved on to TV stardom, Brian Regan should be considered the King of Clean, packing theaters with people who want to see his act, which is accessible to everyone, mainly because of what it lacks, which would be cursing and edgy topics like sex. What it has in abundance is the kind of jokes that are funny without being mean, and fans who memorize his bits as if they were scripture.

Having earned a healthy fanbase by touring clubs and releasing an incredibly well-received CD, he's advanced to bigger venues, but on video, his output has been limited to an appearance on "Dr. Katz" and a self-released DVD available through his web site. So Comedy Central, via Paramount, is filling a huge void by releasing "Brian Regan: Standing Up," filmed in Irvine, California's Barclay Theater. Though a bit short for a stand-alone feature at 42 minutes, the set is the usual Regan silliness, with some stand-out moments and, surprisingly, a few gags that fall flat.

The Regan trademarks are in place, including the observations on everyday life, including lame shows of gratitude while driving, people who over accent ethnic food names and the many categories of greeting cards available, along with some more focused looks at flying, politics and terrorism. The bit about how a driver thanks him for making space on the road is classic Regan, utilizing his unique word choices and exaggerated physicality to make a silly moment even more insane, injecting the mentally disturbed into the situation. The same goes for his jokes about the DMV and greeting cards, hack territory for stand-ups. In Regan's hands though, they are given new life, and a funny one at that.

Unfortunately, what starts as a solid segment about his family, including cute bits about his kids, brings Regan down to earth a bit, as his joke about animals in kids' books is just aimless and has no real payoff, and worse yet leads into a joke about "Antiques Roadshow," which would have been great about 10 years ago. It's such a shock to watch him tell a joke that doesn't work, that it really stands out, and brings any momentum to a dead halt. Being a pro, of course he comes back strong, with a bit about politicians, which is new ground for him.

It must be tough for Regan when he takes the stage, as he's in a unique position among stand-up comics. Much like a band with a beloved back catalog, his fans aren't there to be surprised by something new. They know what they like, and they want to hear it again, in the unique style that has made him so popular. Thus, his new material can rub fans the wrong way, like going to a concert by The Who and not hearing "Won't Get Fooled Again." But in the end, the new (and good) stuff far outweighs the stuff that doesn't get much laughs, and it stands as another example of quality universal comedy.

Directed by Troy Miller, a veteran of "Mr. Show," "Tenacious D" and "Flight of the Conchords," the special doesn't break any new ground, but it also hits all the right notes, as Regan's comedy is occasionally visual, and the close-ups come at just the right time. You'd think that would be an easy thing to do, but watch a few stand-up specials, and you'll realize how often it's handled terribly.

The Quality
The anamorphic widescreen transfer on this DVD looks fantastic, with beautiful color (for what there is in the limited setting), a very high detail level, and not a speck of dirt or damage. The only noticeable negative in this very sharp image is some edge enhancement that's causing haloing around Regan. Between this and the Joe Rogan DVD I just reviewed, the bar is certainly being raised as far as the visuals on these stand-up DVDs.

The audio is presented as a Dolby Digital 2.0 track that's good for the subject, keeping Regan's jokes clear and clean, and separated from the strong audience sound. There's nothing very dynamic about the mix, but it's not really necessary either.

The Extras
A couple of bonuses for the Regan fans out there, starting with the six-minute encore done for the main feature. Here, it's Regan by Request, as he performs some of his classic bits, as yelled out by the audience, including You Too, Take Luck, Gentle Ben and Phonics. It's so bizarre to hear people request jokes, but he knows it's coming and plays along anyway, satisfying the hardcore fans and having fun with the unusual way he's telling these jokes.

The other extra is his "Comedy Central Presents" half-hour special. I'm not the biggest fan of this material, but I think that's probably because I was so into his original CD, which was just incredibly strong and this didn't stack up the same way (another example of the band analogy from before.) Eating is a big theme here, as his legendary pop tarts bit gets big laughs, along with his jokes about fig newtons, PB&J in a jar, Chef Boyardee, pie and IHOP. Watching it after watching the main feature makes me appreciate the set a bit more, while new fans who start here and then move on to his first CD might need CPR (like they ate three Fig Newtons.)

The Bottom Line
Regan's most-powerful enemy is his own work, which was so strong to start and has had an uphill battle in satisfying his die-hard fans. But that shouldn't take away from this DVD, which, if taken on its own, is a solid 42 minutes of laughs that a family can sit down and enjoy, while not being boring or bland. The DVD looks and sounds solid, and the extras, which provide simply more Regan comedy, are gladly welcome on this disc. It's a wonderful introduction to those three people who haven't enjoyed Regan's stand-up before, and will make his fans happy as well.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.